11-year-old boy arrested, accused of attacking classmate with knife at a Woburn middle school

An 11-year-old boy was arrested at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Woburn on Thursday after he "slashed" a classmate with a knife, police said.

An administrator at the school called Woburn police at about 7:50 a.m. to report an attack with a knife inside one of the classrooms.

A school resource officer from Woburn police arrived in minutes, to find the 11-year-old had "slashed" a 12-year-old student with a concealed knife, police told MassLive.

The 12-year-old was taken to a local hospital with "superficial injuries" that were not considered life-threatening, police said.

The 11-year-old was taken into custody and will face discipline at the school, and potential charges in Lowell Juvenile Court, police said.

Woburn Mayor Scott Galvin, Police Chief Robert Rufo and Superintendent of Schools Matthew Crowley released a joint statement following the arrest.

"The safety, security, and well-being of the students and all members of the school community is our first priority. We have determined that there is no further danger to the school," officials wrote in the statement.

The town officials said the attack was not random and appears to be "an isolated incident."

Students and teachers were told to stay inside their classrooms and follow shelter-in-place procedures out of "an abundance of caution" at the start of the investigation. The school day had resumed normally of 10:45 a.m.

The school, on Middle Street in the city, houses 483 students in sixth to eighth grade, according to data from the district's website.